Dear Matt,
I feel that I am wasting a lot of time in my life. There’s so much more I could accomplish if I would just stop procrastinating. Don’t get me wrong, I’m getting a lot done, but the wasted time is really getting on my nerves. Any suggestions?
Spee Dee Gonzaga
Dear Spee Dee,
You’ve brought up a conundrum that so many people never seem to shake. No matter how much they accomplish, they feel it’s not enough, not good enough, or they beat on themselves for the time they spent resting.
Years ago I remarked to a tai chi master in China, that those who play Mahjong are “wasting time.” He smiled and said, “We don’t have this way of thinking here. There’s no such thing as wasting time.”
I was perplexed. No such thing as wasting time? Are you kidding me?
Then I began to look at what used to be called “the great American pastime,” the sport of baseball. It may not be as great of a pastime as it used to be, but millions of people still fill stadiums each day in this country. And for what? To relax, unwind and enjoy a slow-paced game while eating hot dogs and junk food, drinking useless sodas and beer, while catching up on and tracking seemingly important events on their phones. And none of what is going on in the game, much less elsewhere, matters much when you consider the line in the Bible, “this too shall pass.”
Does anyone consider their favorite pastime to be a waste of time? I don’t – unless it’s something I don’t partake in.
Wasting time, in reality, is the great American pastime.
Focus on your goals and get them done – then realize the important role that pastimes and the so-called wasted time play in your life. Enjoy your pastimes as they too shall pass.
Matt Furey
